According to The Starin his first-ever TikTok post uploaded on Wednesday, the actor filmed himself outside his steamed food stall at a coffeeshop in the Tampines industrial area, giving viewers a brief look at the stall’s signboard and menu.

“A new beginning. Thank you for being part of it,” Zhang wrote in the caption. “That day at the stall was a wake-up call. Your kindness gave me strength to reflect and figure out my next steps.”

He added that managing the stall was a conscious choice and promised to share the journey with his followers.

“I know there were many friends, even loyal customers, who took pictures of me helping out here last week,” he said in the video. “I am very grateful for all the encouragement I’ve received on social media.”

“I would like to take the opportunity to thank the people by my side who have been silently supporting me, as well as the friends who have come over after seeing the reports.”

Zhang also credited longtime friend Catherine Chew for encouraging him to join TikTok.

“I’m touched by her sincerity, as well as her eagerness for the public to see another side of me,” he said, adding that she had introduced him to several potential collaborators interested in working with him on the platform.

The TikTok post came around a week after a social media user shared footage of Zhang manning the stall and taking orders. The user noted that Zhang had reportedly stepped in to help after an employee resigned, and that he remained humble and courteous throughout.

According to a March 18 Facebook post by the Tampines Small and Medium Enterprises Association, Zhang’s stall was opened around that time and serves traditional steamed dishes including egg, meat, fish, and prawns.

Zhang’s foray into the food business comes after a period of public scrutiny. In July 2024, rumors surfaced that he had fathered children out of wedlock with women of different nationalities. Though Zhang filed a police report and declined to comment further at the time, he later confirmed his fatherhood in November through an Instagram post featuring a holiday in South Korea with his two daughters.

In February this year, Mediacorp’s talent management arm, The Celebrity Agency, announced that it had ended its representation of Zhang, who had not taken part in any new productions.

Zhang began his acting career in 2002 after finishing as first runner-up in the Malaysian edition of the “Star Search” talent competition. Before acting, he worked as a model and appeared in commercials in Malaysia.

Coming from a family of hawkers, Zhang has long had ties to the food industry. He previously operated a catering business, a roast meat stall, and a Taiwanese beef noodle outlet in Kuala Lumpur. In 2017, he launched Maru, an Asian fusion restaurant in Singapore’s Tanjong Pagar, which has since closed.